November 2011

The Backstory
On January 1, 2012 Jettygirl Online Surf Magazine will be kicking off our sixth year of publication. Although we have a small contingent of advertisers, the single greatest source of our survival and growth has always been you, our loyal readers. With the generosity of the companies listed above, Jettygirl is happy to end the year with a special product giveaway.

The Prizes
Our list of prizes will be expanding throughout the month but this is what we’re giving away so far:
• A Billabong Synergy 3/2mm Full Wetsuit
• The entire Tonic line including the Tonic Haircare line, tote, stickers and Tonic “booty” shorts
• Boardshorts and tops from Girls4Sport
• Bikini from Calavera Swimwear
• Rail Grabber surfboard carrier designed by the legendary Linda Benson
• Alana Blanchard Sticky Bumps traction pad
• Handmade jewelry by SeaHippie
• iTunes gift cards

The Details
Jettygirl’s NO RED TAPE Product Giveaway takes place from November 24 to December 24, 2011. The drawing will take place on Christmas Day. All winners will be notified via email the following week for delivery details. No purchase necessary. Please fill out the form below to enter…one entry per person please. Type “Giveaway” in the Subject field and in the Message field please let us know how you heard about Jettygirl.

Thank You For Your Support of Jettygirl!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your past, present and future support. Jettygirl sprouted from a tiny idea in 2005 and has grown into a well-known and respected surf publication the world over. We couldn’t have done any of it without your support, words of encouragement and overflowing generosity. Thank you! If you would like to help Jettygirl promote women’s surfing in 2012, please consider a “Pay Whatever You Like” subscription below. Whether you donate 25 cents or 25 dollars, every penny goes toward keeping this grassroots project moving forward into the future.

Dollars and Cents …Supporting JettyGirl with a “Pay Whatever You Like” Subscription Even a Labor of Love Needs a Funding Source

JettyGirl readers often ask us how they can help support our mission. We’re a totally free site and will continue to remain so, but we do have operating costs. If you’d like to help out, please use the “Donate” button to the left. You can enter any amount you desire …whether it’s 25 cents or 25 dollars, we’ll use every penny to continue promoting women’s surfing.

*Please note that your donation is NOT tax deductible. Your donation is simply a voluntary subscription to our site, a few coins in the tip jar so to speak.

While the 2011 ASP Women’s Longboard World Title was being decided in the faraway land of China, Jettygirl met up with three-time women’s longboard world champion Cori Schumacher at her home break in Cardiff, California. Cori already surfs with beautiful style but add a special single fin surfboard shaped by Ashley Lloyd and it adds a whole new dimension to Cori’s surfing.

Grids Interactive Releases New Interactive Children’s Story App For iPadRedefining the Way Children Read, Learn and Engage With Their Stories

Los Gatos, CA – November 17, 2011 – Grids Interactive, an independent digital publisher of original interactive storybook apps, today announced the launch of Surf Angel, their second digital book
for the iPad. Surf Angel, adapted from the very successful print book, is an animated storybook app available for purchase on iTunes with beautiful moving images on every page.

In this endearing story, Surf Angel arrives to tuck her ocean friends into their beds for a safe night’s sleep. Using the same striking artwork as the original print version, this bedtime storybook app
incorporates soothing ocean sounds into its soundtrack and allows the reader to record their own voice for playback as the book narration.

Sam Berman, Co-founder of Grids Interactive, differentiated this app from interactive e-books. “Surf Angel is a bedtime story and its purpose is not to excite the reader with multiple levels of
interactivity. We removed the touch point interactivity from this app but left in high-level animations to still engage the reader. The artwork is exquisite and children will enjoy the variety of sea
creatures they encounter in this story.”

Grids Interactive is changing the way young readers engage with stories by blending original content and animation with emerging technologies in tablet computing. Grids Interactive seeks to inspire
children with a passion for reading and learning. The company has partnered with The Make-A-Wish Foundation, which will receive a portion of the profits from the app.

Surf Angel is available for purchase in the iTunes app store for $3.99.

About Grids Interactive:
Founded in 2010, Grids Interactive is an independent publisher of original interactive storybook apps. They are redefining the way children read, learn and engage with their stories. For more information on the company and future books, please visit www.gridsinteractive.com.

The ASP released the 2012 Women’s World Tour schedule and it looks close to identical to the 2011 version. A couple of observations… Overall prize money offered in 2012 is $770,000, down slightly from the $800,000 offered in 2011. Hawaii is once again a glowing omission from the schedule…

It was a shame to watch the world title decided with hops, skips and slides in France instead of with big sweeping turns and deep barrels in Hawaii’s blue walls of consequence. Please, please…one of you big clothing brands who have raked in millions and millions of dollars promoting the image of women’s surfing without adequately supporting events or the surfers themselves…step up to the plate and present a year-ending ASP event in Hawaii. No offense to the beachbreaks of France or Huntington Beach which are great stops along the way, but in our humble opinion the Tour should end this and every year in Hawaii. The US Open is no doubt a fun event but ending the Tour in front of a bunch of non-surfing Southern California buffoons, most of whom never even venture away from the circus tents to watch the surf contest, is just plain wrong. The girls deserve Hawaii, the fans yearn for Hawaii and since your brands owe your entire existence to the pull of the Islands, someone do the right thing and pony up for a year-ending event in the spiritual birthplace of our sport.

Off the soapbox and back to the task at hand, check below for the 2012 ASP Women’s World Tour Schedule.

Let’s face it. If you handed a random sampling of strangers a mix-and-match test of adjectives and nouns, the odds that they would place “intelligent” and “surfer” together are slim to none. Whether it’s a continuation of the Jeff Spicoli stereotype or the frequent sight of young surfers supposedly in “home school” who seem to surf all hours of each day, we generally aren’t confused with Rhodes Scholars. However, stereotypes aside, I have found many surfers to be some of the smartest people around …highly educated, well-traveled and in possession of a wide breadth of knowledge acquired from life experience as well as from academia.

As true believers in the value of a solid education, we were stoked to learn over the summer that three talented California surfers would be heading off to UCLA for the 2011/2012 school year. We caught up with Taylor Pitz, Heather Jordan and Chandler Parr to find out why they chose school over the chase of a pro surfing career, what drew them to UCLA, and to discover who inspired each of them along the way.

Jettygirl: Out of all the universities in California and beyond, you chose to attend UCLA. How did that come about? Have you always wanted to be a Bruin?
Taylor Pitz: The spring of junior year I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try to go for the full time QS after high school or go to a four year university. I started visiting schools in the spring, but nowhere felt right, and I began to think the QS was the route for me. Over spring break, my parents made me visit UCLA, even though I didn’t really want to. I completely fell in love with it. The campus was beautiful, but it just had this amazing energy, and I knew I wanted to be a Bruin. However, my senior year I was accepted to Stanford University. It was a huge opportunity, and I had to make a difficult choice. Stanford promised a big name and an amazing education, and I was honored to be accepted. However, when I visited the campus, I realized Stanford just wasn’t me. I would have had to give up too much of myself to be happy there. When I learned I was accepted to UCLA it felt right, and although many people didn’t understand my decision, I knew UCLA was the right choice for me.

Jettygirl: How old were you when the seeds of college were planted in your heart? Was a higher education something that was encouraged by your parents or was it more a situation where you always knew that you wanted to go to a university?
Taylor: I’ve always been really motivated to do well in school, and growing up I always expected myself to go to college. Even when I considered taking time off to surf the QS, I knew that eventually, I would without a doubt earn my bachelors degree. My parents also always placed an emphasis on education, they told me “school before surfing” every week for the past 6 years; they always thought I would attend a four year university. However, as I progressed in competitive surfing, they realized I might want to pursue a professional career. They were amazing, and they told me they supported me no matter what. However they encouraged me to keep up in school so I would have all the choices possible when it came down to graduation.

Jettygirl: While other competitive surfers are trying to hit the pro tour, you’ve decided to head to school instead. What played into your decision to hit the books instead of hitting the road?
Taylor: For a while I was really torn as to whether I should hit the road to qualify for the pro tour or go to school. But at some point I realized that I would have to give up more to pursue the QS then I would have to give up to go to college. For me to be successful on the QS or pro tour, I would need to give surfing 100% of my energy and time; I would need to put my education and life on hold. I realized I didn’t want to put everything on hold. I love surfing, and it is a huge part of my life, but it is just one piece of who I am. I wanted to explore other things I’m interested in, and see how far I can push myself in the other areas of my life as well. Going to college allows me to continue learning and meeting new people, as well as, surfing and competing.

Jettygirl: Have you decided on an area of study at school yet? A degree from UCLA will surely open some doors for you. Do you have any particular careers fields in mind that you’ll be working toward in college?
Taylor: As an incoming freshman, I applied undeclared. I wanted to keep my mind open to different studies that I might be interested in or excel in. However, right now I’m looking into environmental science and business. They’re two pretty different areas, but I want to kind of bridge that gap. I think both need to start working together in a more effective way, and I hope to somehow make a positive difference in the relationship between business and the environment. I still have a lot to figure out between majors, minors, and future careers, but I’m hoping freshman year will at least give me a feel for what I want to do.

Jettygirl: All three of you are tied intricately to your local surf spots. How difficult is it going to be to say goodbye? What will you miss the most about your home break and your hometown?
Taylor: As excited as I am for surfing new spots, I know I’m going to have a hard time leaving Laguna. I know one day this winter I’m going to be surfing some sandy, dirty LA beachy and I’m going to get crazy homesick for my beautiful, blue Laguna water haha. I’ve lived in Laguna almost my whole life, and the town is such a part of me. I’m going to miss surfing with all my friends, the clean water, the sunset sessions, and actually pretty much everything besides the long lulls!

Jettygirl: When offshore winds roar down Oceanside’s San Luis Rey, or the conditions at Laguna’s fickle reefs turn on, or Zuma’s barrels begin calling your name, how will you deal with the occasional bout of surf fever? Did you plan your class schedule to allow for some surf time?
Taylor: I worked pretty hard to make time to surf. I scheduled my classes all later in the day so I can hopefully surf in the mornings. That’s what’s so nice about UCLA, even though its in LA, its only a couple miles from the beach so its not too much of a mission to go surf. I know there’s still going to be weeks where I’m so busy I won’t have time to surf, so I’ll probably just run or go to the gym; even though its not the same exercising always helps with the surf fever a little bit!

Jettygirl: Kids are getting bombarded with promises of fame and fortune at an earlier and earlier age these days. In the quest for a future pro career, the importance of school and a true education has taken a back seat to photo shoots, sponsor obligations, time in the water and the dubious claims of some homeschool situations. If a grommet version of Taylor, Chandler or Heather came to you for advice on the balance of school and surfing, what would you say to her?
Taylor: As great as surfing and competitive surfing is, I think its important for kids to just step back and keep everything in perspective a little bit. So many of the kids coming up are ridiculously talented, and they will go on to have successful careers in the sport. However, I just want kids to realize that surfing doesn’t have to be their everything; there is more out there. If pro surfing is all they want to do, and nothing else interests them, go for it. Do what makes you happy. But for kids that aren’t sure if surfing is for them, or they don’t genuinely love competing, I think it’s important they know there’s other paths beyond the QS. You can keep surfing a big part of your life without making it your career; there is a world beyond pro surfing. Even though it was really challenging keeping up with my grades in high school while traveling and competing, I’m so happy I put in the work because it was amazing to have choices. When it came down to my senior year, I got to call the shots as to what direction I wanted to go, and that was a great feeling. For that reason alone I would encourage any grom growing up to surf as much as you can but hit the books as well.

Jettygirl: A quick viewing of the results of the 2011 NSSA College National Championships reveals that all of the top placings were being taken by traditional surf schools like UCSB, Point Loma, SDSU, Mira Costa and a variety of East Coast universities. With the three of you attending UCLA at the same time, the Lady Bruins look to be a formidable force in the 2011/2012 surf contest season. It looks like your cross-town rival, USC, finished in 11th place overall largely due to a fantastic performance by your friend Kaleigh Gilchrist. Care to make any predictions how the UCLA surf team will fare this year?
Taylor: I don’t really know much about the UCLA Surf Team, but I’d say from our girl’s team alone, this year we’re looking really strong. To have three girls that have competed in top level events is pretty impressive for a college team, and I know that the girls will hold up our side of the team. The great thing about having girls that rip on a team is that it motivates the boys. No guy likes being shown up by a couple girls in the water! I think it’s also going to be fun seeing how the rivalries play out with Kaleigh at USC and other friends at UCSB and UCSD, and I think it will make the college series pretty entertaining to follow.

Jettygirl: While your hard work and diligence brought you to the doorstep of the next stage of your lives, there is undoubtedly a trail of supporters, teachers, heroes and inspirational figures who played a part as well. If you’d like to give any of them a shout-out or to share a few thoughts about them, here’s your chance…
Taylor: I have had so much support over the years its unbelievable. I’m just so thankful for the whole Laguna community that has given me love and support through everything. My parents have been incredible, and I know I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am today without them. I’ve had inspiring teachers like Mrs. Maloney, Mrs. Dunlap, Mr. Brobeck, Mr. Sogo, and Mr. Alvarez who made me love school enough to want to continue my education. My school counselors, Kay Ostensen and Tristen Gire, Vice Principal Mr. Billinger, and Principal Dr. Austin all helped me juggle school and surfing the past four years. My main sponsor Billabong and my team manager Megan have been so encouraging about pursuing whatever path I want to take, be it surfing or college, and that has meant the world to me. My high school surf coaches, Mr. Finn and Alisa, were always there supporting me. Lastly, I want to thank my friends for making surfing fun and keeping me sane when life gets crazy.

Jettygirl: Out of all the universities in California and beyond, you chose to attend UCLA. How did that come about? Have you always wanted to be a Bruin?
Heather Jordan: I chose to attend UCLA because of the vast opportunities that are available to you as a student. I did not always want to be a Bruin, but the more I learned about the opportunities available to UCLA students as well as the fact that I can enjoy myself at the same time, the more I desired to become a Bruin. At UCLA, you can walk out of a lecture and feel an ocean breeze. Excellent study abroad programs are just one of the many opportunities available to Bruins,where you can travel to a different country and take certain classes. UCLA is ranked amongst the top 10 universities in the nation for studying abroad. The fact that I didn’t need to be isolated on campus quarter after quarter was not only a refreshing relief, it was very inspiring.

Jettygirl: How old were you when the seeds of college were planted in your heart? Was a higher education something that was encouraged by your parents or was it more a situation where you always knew that you wanted to go to a university?
Heather: To be honest with you, I didn’t think I was even going to college for the majority, if not entirety of my high school years. The desires of making it as a professional surfer were quite dominating, and I didn’t see any reason in making plans to go to college if I was going to be making money surfing in the future. The desire of going to college began when I was 17 or 18 years old, and I’m 20 now. My parents did not push college on me, it was more like me traveling different paths including surfing and going to school …and them supporting me with my own decisions. I thank my parents for letting me discover my own interests.

Jettygirl: While other competitive surfers are trying to hit the pro tour, you’ve decided to head to school instead. What played into your decision to hit the books instead of hitting the road?
Heather: Everyone has different passions and paths. I really do enjoy travelling and competing in contests, but I had a greater desire to take a break from that and go to school for a couple years. College life can be really fun, especially when you find subjects and a field you find a lot of interest in. Also, I figured that I could still surf on my free time, especially since I go to a school that’s so close to the beach.

Jettygirl: Have you decided on an area of study at school yet? A degree from UCLA will surely open some doors for you. Do you have any particular careers fields in mind that you’ll be working toward in college?
Heather: I’m majoring in political science with a focus in international relations, and my minor is in environmental systems and society. I think that these two areas of study are deeply interconnected. What happens in our environment does not contain itself to specific boundaries. Pollution within our ocean for example, moves with the currents and effects more countries and regions than where it originated. It would be so fulfilling to me to have a career that is related to the field of environmental law. I am taking things at my own pace and want to have fun and real experiences that will help me become more knowledgeable in these areas.

Jettygirl: All three of you are tied intricately to your local surf spots. How difficult is it going to be to say goodbye? What will you miss the most about your home break and your hometown?
Heather: I have just moved in to my new room on campus, and it was pretty hard to say goodbye to my family and friends. I know I’m going to miss saying “hi” and surfing with all the great people I know at the North Jetty in Oceanside. I already miss my doggie Max …I have a picture of him right above my desk in my room.

Jettygirl: When offshore winds roar down Oceanside’s San Luis Rey, or the conditions at Laguna’s fickle reefs turn on, or Zuma’s barrels begin calling your name, how will you deal with the occasional bout of surf fever? Did you plan your class schedule to allow for some surf time?
Heather: Oceanside is about two hours away from UCLA, so I’m definitely planning to still surf there when I can on some weekends. This quarter I couldn’t really plan my schedule at all. I’m taking three classes, and two them I had to take in order to take upper division political science classes next quarter. Those two classes only have one lecture session, so I just grabbed the opportunity I had to squeeze myself into those. For my third class, I chose one that most interested me and wasn’t at the same time as my first two classes. I do have a lot of time to surf on Wednesday afternoons, Friday afternoons, and the weekend. Even though I’m taking 15 units, my schedule is pretty flexible.

Jettygirl: Kids are getting bombarded with promises of fame and fortune at an earlier and earlier age these days. In the quest for a future pro career, the importance of school and a true education has taken a back seat to photo shoots, sponsor obligations, time in the water and the dubious claims of some homeschool situations. If a grommet version of Taylor, Chandler or Heather came to you for advice on the balance of school and surfing, what would you say to her?
Heather: The key is to know what your passion is, and also to realize that you can have many passions at the same time. With me, I love surfing as well as learning about different cultures, the environment, and what is happening in other countries. If a mini version of me came to me for advice, I would tell her that I think surfers make great students because of the determination they develop through learning to surf, facing their fears, and competing in contests.

Jettygirl: A quick viewing of the results of the 2011 NSSA College National Championships reveals that all of the top placings were being taken by traditional surf schools like UCSB, Point Loma, SDSU, Mira Costa and a variety of East Coast universities. With the three of you attending UCLA at the same time, the Lady Bruins look to be a formidable force in the 2011/2012 surf contest season. It looks like your cross-town rival, USC, finished in 11th place overall largely due to a fantastic performance by your friend Kaleigh Gilchrist. Care to make any predictions how the UCLA surf team will fare this year?
Heather: With the quarter just starting, it would be hard to say because we don’t know who will be on the surf team. I do know that we’ll have super strong contributions from the girls this year. Being on the same surf team with Chandler and Taylor is going to be great, and I’m really looking forward to a fun year.

Jettygirl: While your hard work and diligence brought you to the doorstep of the next stage of your lives, there is undoubtedly a trail of supporters, teachers, heroes and inspirational figures who played a part as well. If you’d like to give any of them a shout-out or to share a few thoughts about them, here’s your chance…
Heather: Thank you to my parents for believing in me and supporting me. Thanks Grandpa Wayne for encouraging me to go to always learn and travel.

I’d like to thank some great teachers and faculty members at Mira Costa College. Thank you to my teachers Lynne Miller and Patrick Connelly for being so excited about your subjects. You inspire your students so much. Thank you Rich Langen for being a great surf coach and for being there for the team. Thank you to Honors Coordinator Christopher Sleeper for having a vision for students in community college to not only reach their dreams and goals, but to reach even higher. Your vision has been carried out already and is constantly spreading.

Jettygirl: Out of all the universities in California and beyond, you chose to attend UCLA. How did that come about? Have you always wanted to be a Bruin?
Chandler Parr: I chose to go to UCLA because I have grown up going to the campus because I live 15 minutes away. Also, my mom went there and I wanted to keep the tradition alive!

Jettygirl: How old were you when the seeds of college were planted in your heart? Was a higher education something that was encouraged by your parents or was it more a situation where you always knew that you wanted to go to a university?
Chandler: From a young age I was always told the importance of an education. Both my parents came from very little and used their education to help them build an amazing life for our family. I always knew I would go to college.

Jettygirl: While other competitive surfers are trying to hit the pro tour, you’ve decided to head to school instead. What played into your decision to hit the books instead of hitting the road?
Chandler: When deciding to go to college instead of doing the tour full time, I just thought there is a lot more that I can do in life after a surfing career and a college degree would be very beneficial to making that a reality. I still do a handful of events when I am able to miss school, and UCLA has been very supportive and helpful when I do miss class to travel for an event.

Jettygirl: Have you decided on an area of study at school yet? A degree from UCLA will surely open some doors for you. Do you have any particular careers fields in mind that you’ll be working toward in college?
Chandler: I have not declared a major yet. There are a lot of different things that I am interested and I can’t decide on one just yet. I am interested in architecture and anything creative. I love to draw and work with my hands so I just need to figure out where that fits into deciding a major.

Jettygirl: All three of you are tied intricately to your local surf spots. How difficult is it going to be to say goodbye? What will you miss the most about your home break and your hometown?
Chandler: Well, I am lucky because I don’t need to say goodbye to my hometown or home breaks. I live at home because I only live 15 minutes away from campus so there is no reason to put the money burden on my parents for a dorm room.

Jettygirl: When offshore winds roar down Oceanside’s San Luis Rey, or the conditions at Laguna’s fickle reefs turn on, or Zuma’s barrels begin calling your name, how will you deal with the occasional bout of surf fever? Did you plan your class schedule to allow for some surf time?
Chandler: When the waves are good there are always ways to get a session in. My classes are spaced out a lot and I only have class two days a week. So if the waves are good I will for sure make time to get some waves.

Jettygirl: Kids are getting bombarded with promises of fame and fortune at an earlier and earlier age these days. In the quest for a future pro career, the importance of school and a true education has taken a back seat to photo shoots, sponsor obligations, time in the water and the dubious claims of some homeschool situations. If a grommet version of Taylor, Chandler or Heather came to you for advice on the balance of school and surfing, what would you say to her?
Chandler: I think the number one thing is to make sure to keep everything fun. If you feel pressure from either your school or surfing commitments there is always a way to make it work. If you have a great support team you can achieve anything. I feel like today the sport of surfing is continuing to grow and the options for what career path you take in surfing whether it be competitive or lifestyle, the possibilities are endless, and an education will only help your opportunities grow.

Jettygirl: A quick viewing of the results of the 2011 NSSA College National Championships reveals that all of the top placings were being taken by traditional surf schools like UCSB, Point Loma, SDSU, Mira Costa and a variety of East Coast universities. With the three of you attending UCLA at the same time, the Lady Bruins look to be a formidable force in the 2011/2012 surf contest season. It looks like your cross-town rival, USC, finished in 11th place overall largely due to a fantastic performance by your friend Kaleigh Gilchrist. Care to make any predictions how the UCLA surf team will fare this year?
Chandler: I think this year a lot will change. With such a strong girls’ team we can push the boys on the team to want to step up and compete more this year. Last year we didn’t have many kids who had the competitive fire but this year I think Taylor, Heather and I could help encourage our team and help us do well in the events.

Jettygirl: While your hard work and diligence brought you to the doorstep of the next stage of your lives, there is undoubtedly a trail of supporters, teachers, heroes and inspirational figures who played a part as well. If you’d like to give any of them a shout-out or to share a few thoughts about them, here’s your chance…
Chandler: I mainly want to thank my parents. They honestly have supported me through thick and thin and have helped me manage school and surfing so well. Without them I honestly would be lost. Also, my twin brother Hunter and my boyfriend Tyler have been huge helps with helping me with homework or turning assignments in while I was traveling and they are always there for me no matter what. Finally, I’d like to thank my sponsor Body Glove. The whole crew over there has always been supportive of me deciding to go to school rather than doing the tour full time. They are a great group of people and I am lucky to have them. I love and thank all of them so much!!!

Watching the deciding event of the Women’s World Longboard Championships unfold in China from a distance was difficult. Truth be told, it was impossible. There were no live webcasts, no live interviews and very limited photographs of the event itself as it unfolded. Though live scoring was available, bans by the Chinese government on social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) made any unofficial updates nearly impossible. Additionally, it was strange to view the photos of the opening ceremony where uniformed, color coordinated crews occupied the majority of the seats in the audience. Contests are usually huge promotions for the companies that fund them. This did not seem to be the case in this situation… at least in the traditional sense. Indeed, I would argue that this may have been the least spectated event of this size in the history of the ASP and not simply from a lack of interest in women’s longboarding, although this may have been a point taken into consideration…. Can you imagine the uproar from folks who could not watch Kelly Slater live from China?!

The point here is to highlight the censorship and propaganda that were at play throughout the event. What was being sold, supported, commodified was surf-fashion/lifestyle-in-China and Hainan-as-Hawaii as defined by the ASP and SIMA and the government of Wanning.

What is not known are the details of the deal that was struck between Chinese officials and the ASP/SIMA other than that this event will be held, at least for the next two years, at this same venue. I am curious to see if the Chinese government will be footing the bill for the 32 competitors each year.

A few key points I’d like to highlight:

1) In response to those who thought I did not want surfing brought to China- It doesn’t take a contest to introduce surfing to China.

2) Those Chinese who were present at the contest (and not involved with it somehow) were not those who are most oppressed by the government. Hainan is being tailored for the luxury class, the upper class, the growing class of Chinese with a disposable income. A class being magnetized to the surf industry, not by a desire to surf, but through clothing that is marketed as Western and modern; as evinced by the choice to hold the bikini show rather than holding a surf clinic.

3) What of those who were pushed out of their homes in order to make room for the hotels on Hainan? This is happening in many places in China, people’s land being taken from them through a Chinese version of eminent domain.

Simply leaving the hotel and wandering around the local area isn’t going to expose the underbelly of Chinese society. Suppose I were to have a contest at Queens, in Waikiki and decided to take a walk around because I had heard stories about the rampant poverty in America and I wanted to “see for myself” if this was true. Would I find it? I would either have to fly over to the mainland and do some traveling or I would need a Hawaiian local who was unafraid to tell me where I could find these pockets of poverty in paradise, then take me, for example, to the tent cities on the West side of Oahu.

We see this class distinction in surfing even here. While many tout the low cost of surfing as compared with other sports (the “all you really need is a plank and you are able to ride waves” mentality) the larger context of what is needed is lots of leisure time and proximity to the ocean. Many of those who might enjoy surfing don’t have this leisure time because they are working. This isn’t a choice, nor is it a cultural difference. They are barely scraping by, working long hours at extremely low wages to sustain even the most meager of existences in order to simply survive.

I do not see China as some homogenous amalgam or judge it through the lens of the western media. Chinese Human Rights Defenders is one example of a great direct resource for human rights defense from within China. I make a distinction between the Chinese people and the Chinese government, between the central government and local governments… and always keep in mind cultural relativity. But there are some things that are universal, such as how to treat human beings and I try to make my choices based on my best knowledge of a situation. Not everyone will agree with how I made these decisions but ultimately, they are my decisions to make. In no way do I think surfing should be kept from China, but do I think that the ASP, SIMA, clothing manufacturers/corporations, etc. ought to be the ones introducing it? No way.

Unlike most of our readers I’ve been alive since the first shortboard airs were attempted. Early on they were scoffed at and labeled as “tricks for kids.” Despite the backlash of the early days though, I can vividly remember even the grumpiest on-the-wave-face-only surfers saying things like, “If someone could do a functional air to make a section though, that would be acceptable.” Fast forward a few decades to the modern era and it’s an accepted fact that high-performance surfing also includes air time. Huge spins, flips and tweaks aside, punting airs to make sections isn’t as commonplace as I’d think it would be in 2011.

Enter Silvana Lima at Lowers this past summer. I was only able to shoot with Silvana once this summer and as always, it was jaw dropping. It was a gray day but she just lit up the place with huge snaps, lofty rotations and a double-grab over the section pictured here that had the beach in full applause. Even a photo sequence doesn’t do it justice. In my memory, the (missing) points between shot #1 and shot #4 were crazy as she moved forward to even out her flight path for extended distance. It looked really technical and gave me a little glimpse into how insanely talented the Brazilian surfer is…while others are just trying to launch into the air, Silvana is up above the lip so often that she now has time to think and adjust to make the flight even better. Must be nice to be that good…